Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अचेतनाश्च सावज्ञा जीवंतोपि न कीर्तये । अभिमानधना धन्या वरं योषित्सुसासती

Transliteration

acetanāśca sāvajñā jīvaṃtopi na kīrtaye | abhimānadhanā dhanyā varaṃ yoṣitsusāsatī

Translation

Les êtres sans discernement et méprisants, bien qu’en vie, ne méritent pas d’éloge. Mieux vaut, en vérité, une femme vertueuse et chaste que ces ‘fortunés’ dont l’unique richesse est l’arrogance.

Word by Word

• acetanāḥ: unconscious, insentient (women)
• acetanāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acetanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. pl.)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• sāvajñāḥ: disrespectful, contemptuous
• sāvajñāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāvajñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. pl.)

• jīvantaḥ: living
• jīvantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jīvat (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (pres. act. part.)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-प्रयोग (particle: even/also)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• kīrtaye: I praise / I mention
• kīrtaye: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् (I praise/mention)

• abhimāna-dhanāḥ: having pride as wealth
• abhimāna-dhanāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhimāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्धारणार्थः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. pl.)

• dhanyāḥ: fortunate, blessed
• dhanyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nom. pl.)

• varam: rather, better
• varam: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः (indeclinable adverbial: better/rather)

• yoṣit-su-asatī: a woman who is very unchaste
• yoṣit-su-asatī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक) + su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + asatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयः (su-asatī = very unchaste); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic moment in Kāśī: a speaker contrasts empty ‘living’ arrogance with the luminous dignity of a virtuous, devoted woman; background hints of ghāṭas and temple spires.

Characters & Entities

• Satī
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mere social standing or ‘fortune’ is worthless if rooted in arrogance; true worth is dharma and reverence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific tīrtha in this verse; it supports Kāśī’s Mahākāla-centered dharma by contrasting virtue and pride.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is moral evaluation—praise is due to virtue and devotion, not ego.